I will still occasionally go off the rails for a special hamburger like I did at BURGER’S TIME IMUA in Chatan, Okinawa.

Summer is considered a spooky season in Japan and Okinawa. Locals seek a chill through Kimodameshi (test of guts) in an effort to have a break from the steamy heat.

If you go to Gate 2 Street near Kadena AB regularly, Tesio may already be on your radar.This shop dedicated to specialty German-style sausages, has garnered much media attention since it opened in 2017.

With the summer arriving in Okinawa, fireworks and eisa dance festivals are making their way back.

One day after the rainy season was declared over in Okinawa, I was walking on the boardwalk by the Mihama American Village, still unable to embrace the unusually early arrival of the summer.

U.S. Army Garrison Okinawa held a Change of Command ceremony to bid farewell to Lt. Col. Rachel Bowers and welcome Lt. Col. Elizabeth Johnson at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan, on June 18, 2025.

On my way home, I decided to swing by Cape Maeda. Before the pandemic, this location was packed with many tourists who were there for snorkeling and diving.

Last year I visited Kissa Gitano, an eatery in the Sunabe Seawall known for their tasty Cuban sandwiches, a go-to when I lived in South Florida almost 10 years ago.

What better way is there to start the 100 days of summer than spending time on one of the best beaches in Okinawa?

U.S. Army Garrison Okinawa Lt. Col. Rachel Bowers, commander, passes the detachment guidon to Capt. Lawrence Jerichow, incoming 247th Military Police Detachment commander, during a change of command ceremony at Torii Station, Japan, May 13, 2025.